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Analysis of complex predicates in Mandarin Chinese
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Abstract:
© 2019 Anthony Chi-Pin Hsu ; This project examines complex predicates in Mandarin, which is a language abundant in complex predicates. The approach of syntactic and semantic analyses in this study is based on the Simpler Syntax model developed by Culicover and Jackendoff (2005), which incorporates the LCS (Lexical Conceptual Structure) approach of Jackendoff (1990), with some minor adjustments to account for my analysis of eventuality structure. This study is also supplemented by approaches taken from other previous studies as necessary. This study proposes a two-dimensional classification for Mandarin complex predicates. Complex predicates in this study are classified as monoclausal or polyclausal in the syntactic dimension and as resultatives, depictives, directionals, etc. in the semantic dimension. Monoclausal resultatives and polyclausal serial verb constructions with bleached verbs are given particular focus in the thesis and discussed in detail. Naturally occurring sentences show that some monoclausal resultatives can take imperfective aspect categories. I suggest two sources for the compatibility between these resultatives and the imperfective aspect categories: (a) iterative readings and (b) focus on the process portions of resultatives. A questionnaire undertaken with native speakers shows that compatibility between resultatives and the Progressive Aspect may also be influenced by polarity. The verb na, which has a full verb meaning of ‘take’ with the hand as the default body part, can be used as a bleached verb and employed as an instrument marker in polyclausal serial verb constructions. A corpus of mouth and foot painting artists-related articles are collected for the analysis of na, where the executive body part is not the hand. The analysis of sentences in the corpus shows that the distinction between full and bleached verbs is not categorical and that verb bleaching can be influenced by pragmatic factors such as context.
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Keyword:
aspect; bleached verb; clause chaining; coercion; complex predicate; depictive; eventuality; lexical conceptual structure; Mandarin Chinese; resultative; semantics; serial verb construction; simpler syntax; syntactic-semantic-pragmatic interaction; syntax
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URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11343/227162
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